In a parliamentary question session held yesterday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander addressed growing public and legislative concern over rising violent crime across multiple communities, revealing that local residents in Belmont have repeatedly demanded the implementation of the government’s controversial Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) security plan.
Alexander’s comments came in response to a query from Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West Member of Parliament Stuart Young, who raised the issue following a shocking Thursday shooting in Belmont that claimed three lives: a two-year-old child, his father, and an additional adult male. Opening his response, Alexander emphasized that any preventable loss of life remains a top priority for the current administration. “The death of any person is a concern to this Government,” he stated, noting that he had personally visited the affected community to speak directly with residents following the attack.
According to the minister, local residents expressed intense frustration over ongoing violence and share the government’s goal of bringing the ZOSO framework to their neighborhood. He added that the initiative goes far beyond simple crime control, aiming to drive long-term social and economic development for marginalized communities trapped in cycles of violence. Despite the failure of the ZOSO legislation to pass, Alexander confirmed that enhanced police patrols and targeted intelligence work have already identified the suspects behind the Belmont shooting, who are currently evading law enforcement custody. He stressed that the government is taking all possible steps to protect all citizens, including residents of Laventille who have repeatedly called for a more robust security presence in their area.
The government’s 2026 ZOSO Bill, which would have granted authorities the power to designate high-crime neighborhoods as special security zones requiring intensified policing, was defeated in the Senate at the end of January. The legislation required a three-fifths majority to advance, a threshold the government failed to reach. During the session, Young went on to accuse the current government of treating the crime-ravaged community of Laventille as if it were a disconnected, separate nation unworthy of adequate investment and security resourcing. Alexander pushed back against this claim, noting that Laventille residents themselves have repeatedly raised concerns that they are not adequately represented in national parliamentary policy making. He also placed blame for ongoing security gaps on the previous administration, saying the current government inherited crumbling infrastructure, severely understaffed law enforcement agencies, and outdated policing technology that continues to hamper operations today. “But I am here and I will fix it all,” Alexander affirmed.
In addition to the Belmont shooting, the minister addressed two other pressing local security issues during the question session. Arouca/Lopinot MP Marvin Gonzales asked for an update on the May 5 shooting of an off-duty police officer in Longdenville. Alexander confirmed that active investigations are still ongoing, and that the fact the officer was not on duty at the time of the attack has not altered the scope or priority of the probe. “There are additional patrols. The officers were advised to pay more attention while on duty and off duty. An intelligence-led operation continues in the Longdenville area,” he said, declining to share further details on the active investigation.
Gonzales also asked Alexander to outline new security measures for the San Juan and St Joseph regions following a recent spike in reported home invasions. In response, Alexander confirmed that law enforcement has determined most of the recent crimes are being committed by criminal actors who travel into the communities from outside areas. “We understand that there are persons who are coming in from different areas and committing these acts,” he said, adding that investigators have already identified multiple key suspects who are currently being actively pursued. Cross-agency intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement initiatives have now been deployed to the area to disrupt the criminal activity, the minister confirmed.